Signaling on railways.



I PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908. G. M. JACOBS, R. J. INSBLL E. A. B. B0

2 sums-bum 1.

WHEN.

SIGNALING 0N RAILWAYS. APPLICATION I'IQED AUG. 9, 1907- 0. M. JACOBS, R. J. QINSELL & E. A. B. BOWDBNY.

' .SIGN'ALING 0N RAILWAYS.

APPLIOATION I'ILED AUG. 9. 1907.

zlvzed'z wieritzezareeztzqwa PATBNTEDMAR. '24, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES MARK JACOBS AND ROBERT JAMES INSELL, OF READING, AND ERNEST ALBERT BENNETT BOWDEN, OF HANWELL, ENGLAND.

SIGNALING ON RAILNAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24-, 1908.

Application filed August 9, 1907. Serial No 387,859.

telegraph engineer; 17 Russell street, heath.

ing, in the county of Berks, England, signal engineer, and 21 Balfour avenue, Hanwell, in the count of Middlcsex, England, traltic officer, have jointly invcn ted certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling on Railways, of which the followin is a specification.

In an installation for signaling on railways wherein a single ramp on the line at each sig naling position invariably raises a lever car-- ried by the train to open a normally closed circuit on the latter, and at the same time serves together with the said lever as art of a normally open electric circuit whici may be closed by the Signalman. The effect of opening the normally closed circuit is to deencrgize an electromagnet to release a lever that operates a danger signal, and the effect of closing the normally open circuit is to maintain the said electromagnet energized and thus to restrain the danger signal; at the same time a safety signal included in this cir cuit is operated.

The present invention relates to improve ments in such an installation, whereby the normally closed electric circuit is eliminated. For this purpose the mechanism that operates the danger signal is mcchanically released when the ramp raises the lever carried by the train or a substitute for that lever such. as a rod. For instance the raising of the lever may withdraw a catch that releases the mechanism, thus causing the danger signal to be given unless the said mechanism is restrained by some means such as through the energizing of an electro magnet by the closing of the normally open circuit referred to above.

A suitable construction is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front part elevation of the mechanical mrtion of the signaling apparatus on the locomotive, Fig. 2

is a part sectional. elevation on line 2--2 of Fig. I, also showing a local electrical circuit situated on the ei'iginc, Fig. 3 is a part plan and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a second or ramp circuit.

the locomotive and The Whistle a is normally kept closed by a lever b, on an inclined surface of which bears a cam c fixed on a disk (Z mounted free to turn on a spindle 12. Also free to turn on this spindle is a drumfwithin which is fixed so as to turn therewith an electromagnet g with its pivoted armature g.

The drum carries sprocket teeth f engaging with which is a chain h having one end attached to a weight i and the other to a steel wire 72. which 0. tends throu h a brass tube 7L2 and connected at its other end with the arm is of the lever is by means of an insulated Washer 7t. The lever is is adapted to be operated by a ramp 1/. that is fixed between the rails and. carries an insulated conductor a.

The free end of the armature 9 extends through a port f in the face of thedrum into a slot d in the disk (i, the walls of the slot being notched or shouldered. The. terminals of the electromagnetg are connected by leads Z respectively with insulated contacts-m on the periphery of the drum f. Brushes a bear respectively on these contacts, one being connected by lead 0 with one terminal of a wind- 7 ing p on a polarized relay carried by the en gine, and which is employed for establishing a local or holding-oncircuit, hereinafterfcrrcd to, when the magnet g is energized by the closing of the normally open circuit; the other end of said winding is connected by lead 0 with earth, say throughthe mass of the running rails, while the other brush a is connected by lead 0 with lever /c which is mounted in insulated manner on the uiuler-frame of the locomotive.

The second winding p of the olarizcd relay is connected to the hell (1 to be used as a safety signal when no dangcrsignal is to be given, and the battery 1' carried by the engine. When the relay is energized bythe line battery w a holding on circuit including a local lmttcry 2', coil p, working stop 1-, tongue 13 and switch s is established by the engagement of the tongue t of the relay with the working stop it as in Fig. 2, thereby causing the hell (1 to sound by the closing of the ringiug circuit through battery r, hell (1, working stop I", tongue t and switch s until the driver breaks the loca or ringing circuit by pressing the push button or switch s.

When the locomotive passes over a ramp, the lever Ir is raised, whcrcby the wire It is pulled, weight 1. raised by the ramp and drum weight t and drum f return to their normal positions. I The disk d, however, remains in the osition into which it has been turned unti the engine-driver lifts. the lever c which is free to turn on spindle e, so as to engage a stop d on the disk and force the latter back into the normal position causing the cam c to engage the lever b which in turn closes the whistle.

If the line is clear and no danger signal is to be given, the Signalman before the ap proach of a train turns a switch 02 to close a circuit from a battery wsituated beside the track through the conductor a on the ramp, the lever it, lead 0 one contact m, the magnet g, the other contact m, lead 0, winding p and tlno ugh the locomotive and running rails to earth, as represented. in Fig. 4. The magnet 9 is thus energized and raises its arnia ture g so that the end g thereof rests in the left hand part of slot cl. Thus, 'when the drum f is rotated the end gof the armature clears the notch in the slot and merely rides in the left hand half of slot d and the disk (1 is not then turned so that the whistle remains closed. At the same time as the mage net 9 is energized and the danger signal restrained, the polarized relay circuit is established and causes the safety bell g to sound until this circuit is broken by the driver pressing the push 8.

Having thus described the nature of this invention andthe best means we know of carrying the same into practical effect, we claim:

1. In an installation for signaling on railways, a ramp on the track, a mechanical device carried by the train and adapted to be operated by the ram a danger signal on the train adapted to lie operated positively while the said mechanical device is being actuated by the ramp, a normally open electric circuit in part carried by the train and in part by the ramp, an electromagnetic device'on the train situated in the said normallyopen electric circuit and adapted, when energized, to restrain the said danger signal, and means outside the track for closing the said normally open circuit.

2. In an installation for signaling on railways, a ramp on the track, a lever carried by the train and adapted to-be raised by contact with the said ramp, a danger signal on the train, a mechanical connection between the said lever and the said signal whereby the latter is operated when the lever is raised, a

normally open electric circuit in part carried by the train and in part by the ramp, an electromagnetic device on the train situated in the said normally open electric circuit and adapted when energized to restrain the said danger signal, and means outside, the track for closing the said normally ooen circuit.

3. In an installation tor signaling on rail ways, a ramp on the track, a lever carried by the train and adapted to he raised by contact with the said ramp, a whistle on the train, a valve con trolling the said whistle, a lever controllin the said valve, a disk adapted to turn on its axis, a cam fixed on the said disk and adapted to engage the said valve con trolling lever, a drum free to turn on its axis, an electroinagnet mounted within the said 'drum and adapted to turn therewith, a pivoted armature to the said electromagnet' adapted to extend through a slot in the said disk, means connecting the said drum with the said lever that comes in contact with the names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES MARK JACOBS. ROBERT JAMES lNSElili. ERNEST ALBERT BENNETT BOWDEN. Witnesses:

Josnrn .MILLARD, WALTER J. SKEn'rnN. 

